Markets

Bond bears recently discovered that conventional wisdom was flawed. The experts expecting higher yields at the start of a tapering regime never understood the difference, but equity traders did once they got over the shock.

Cover Story

Asia, water, big data, intellectual property and commodities that have not been invented yet will likely be the leading markets in the next 20 years, according to Richard Sandor, who has a pretty good track record on these things.

Commodities/Futures magazine launched at the precipice of a revolution in the futures industry—really a revolution in the idea of risk management—that would move it from a small niche industry to an indispensable tool for managing risk as well providing an alternative investment to traditional stock and bond portfolios.

Industry Trends

The twin debacles of MF Global and PFG have damaged the reputation of the futures industry demanding an examination of customer protection rules. New rules are being implemented, which will add cost and complexity to FCM compliance.

Bitcoin Poker sits at the intersection of currency speculation and online gambling. The potential to profit on only gaming is only fueled by the possibility of rising Bitcoin prices in the future. This month, Michael Friedman at Poker News breaks down how Bitcoin is reshaping the online poker world for everyday poker players, and what it means for gamers and speculators alike.

New For Traders

A new investment strategy is shaking up the sports world, and could change the future of investing if the trend accelerates. It’s called Fantex, an online brokerage that allows investors the chance to profit directly from the multi-million dollar contract of today’s biggest NFL stars. This month, we break down the profit potential and the risk management issues in this new phenomenon.

People

Senator Rand Paul is an independent-minded thinker in the U.S. Senate, even challenging the conventional policy approaches of his own party on issues ranging from Iraq to drug sentencing. This month, Senator Paul sat down in the debut series of the Alpha Pages Interview to discuss the broken tax code, regulation surrounding Bitcoin, and his plans for the 2016 Presidential election.

Hedge Funds

Liquid alternative investment funds saw the highest percentage of capital inflows last year in a head-to-head turf battle v hedge funds for investor assets. As regulatory efforts heat up in Washington, Deirdre Brennan of FinAlternatives considers new questions about management structure and fees.